Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chris and Ania Wakeman, the owners of Blackwater Restaurant in Yankeetown, Florida. Now, for those unfamiliar, Yankeetown is a very small town on the banks of the Withlacoochee River in north Florida. It is pretty rural. While it is just a small town to some, the Yankeetown community has always rallied in ways that many cannot imagine during times of need. Hurricane Idalia was no different. Last August, when power was still not yet restored and residents were working to pick up the pieces and survey the damage to their homes and businesses--heck, while many of their homes and businesses were still underwater--Chris and Ania opened their restaurant to anyone who needed a meal or a place to spend time over the next couple days. While they were in no way obligated to serve their community, they stepped up to support their neighbors out of the kindness of their hearts, expecting nothing in return. They demonstrate the best of Florida's Third Congressional District and remind me why I am so terribly proud of our region and our district, especially our resiliency in the face of a natural disaster of this magnitude. On behalf of Florida's Third Congressional District, I thank the Wakemans for embodying the spirit of service that we all strive to represent. We are grateful for everything that you do and the example that you set for others in the Sunshine State. Hawthorne High School Football Team”